Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Sen. Randy Vulakovich (R-Allegheny) are teaming up together on a measure currently moving through the state Senate that would incentivize high school-aged Pennsylvanians to join volunteer firefighting companies.

Sen. Bob Mensch’s (R-Montgomery) Senate Resolution 237, which would encourage county and local government and emergency services agencies to work with the Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of Public Safety Radio to create interoperability for the latest iteration of the Statewide Radio Network (STARnet), recently was approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

It is the latest move in an effort to solve the decades-long process of creating a statewide public safety radio network.

Two Senate bills seeking to provide more flexibility to some of Pennsylvania’s local parking authorities moved closer to the conclusion of their legislative process Wednesday as they were unanimously approved the House Local Government Committee.

The first bill, Senate Bill 252 by Sen. Randy Vulakovich (R-Allegheny), seeks to provide the Pittsburgh Parking Authority with the ability to enter into private agreements for the lease or license of parking spaces and develop, operate, and/or finance mixed-use projects.